IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
| |||||||||
|
| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citation Information
42
BOOK I I.
MARCO POLO
chevauche cinq jorníe por plain et por valée, et treve-l'en castiaus et casaus assez. Les homes vivent dou profit qu'il traient de la terre. Il hi a bestes sauvajes assez, lions et orses et autres bestes. Il vivent d'ars : car il hi se laborent des biaus sendal et autres dras. Il sunt de Sindu meisme." I take it that in speaking of Ch'éng-tu fu, Marco has forgotten to fill up his usual formula as to the occupation of the inhabitants ; he is reminded of this when he speaks of the occupation of the peasantry on the way to Tibet, and reverts to the citizens in the words which I have quoted in Italics. We see here Sindu applied to the city, suggesting Sindu fu for the reading at the begin-
ning of the chapter.
Silk is a large item in the. produce and trade of Sze-ch'wan ; and through extensive quarters of Ch'éng-tu fu, in every house, the spinning, dying, weaving, and embroidering of silk give occupation to the people. And though a good deal is exported, much is consumed in the province, for the people are very much given to costly apparel. Thus silk goods are very conspicuous in the shops of the capital. (Ricluthofen.)
CHAPTER XLV.
CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF TEBET.
AFTER those five days' march that I spoke of, you enter
a province which has been sorely ravaged ; and this was
done in the wars of Mongu Kaan. There are indeed
towns and villages and hamlets, but all harried and
destroyed.'
In this region you find quantities of canes, full three
palms in girth and fifteen paces in length, with some
three palms' interval between the joints. And let me
tell you that merchants and other travellers through that
country are wont at nightfall to gather these canes and
make fires of them ; for as they burn they make such
loud reports that the lions and bears and other wild
beasts are greatly frightened, and make off as fast as
possible ; in fact nothing will induce them to come nigh
a fire g
e of that sort. So you see the travellers make those
fires to protect themselves and their cattle from the wild
beasts which have so greatly multiplied since the devasta-
tion to-
tion of the country. And 'tis this great multiplication of
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019 National Institute of Informatics and The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.